(CNN) - Continuing his charge against the Obama administration on gun control proposals, Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association is scheduled to respond to the president's State of the Union while speaking Thursday at the annual convention for the National Wild Turkey Federation in Nashville.

The speech comes one day after LaPierre issued a rally-cry for gun owners, writing in an op-ed that "good Americans are prudently getting ready to protect themselves" against what he described as an onslaught of doom.Follow @politicaltickerFollow @KilloughCNN

"Hurricanes. Tornadoes. Riots. Terrorists. Gangs. Lone criminals. These are perils we are sure to face-not just maybe. It's not paranoia to buy a gun. It's survival," the NRA's executive vice president wrote in the op-ed published Wednesday by the conservative news website, The Daily Caller.

"It's responsible behavior," he continued. "And it's time we encourage law-abiding Americans to do just that."

LaPierre has been a leading yet controversial voice against gun control proposals as Washington grapples with a flood of firearm legislation in the wake of the Connecticut elementary school shooting. President Obama also renewed his plea for Congress to vote on tougher gun laws during his State of the Union address earlier this week.

"Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. If you want to vote no, that's your choice. But these proposals deserve a vote," Obama said. "Because in the two months since Newtown, more than a thousand birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun."First on CNN: NRA charges Obama’s efforts will lead to gun confiscation

LaPierre wrote that defenders of gun rights are more fired up than ever to purchase firearms-not because they fear conflict with the government, as some have argued, but because they "anticipate confrontations where the government isn't there."

As examples, he cited stories of looting after Superstorm Sandy, claimed terrorists would infiltrate through the U.S. southern border and warned of a lack of funds to pay for police protection should Obama's fiscal policies result in economic disaster.

"No wonder Americans are buying guns in record numbers right now, while they still can and before their choice about which firearm is right for their family is taken away forever," he wrote.

White House Senior Adviser David Plouffe responded to the op-ed, writing on Twitter Wednesday that it's "hard to believe this is real. Every GOPer should read and decide if this delusional person will call the shots."

LaPierre further laid out a four-year plan for a "resistance movement" that entails fighting legal battles against gun law legislation, boosting NRA membership, and strengthening the organization financially. Deep into his op-ed, he called for donations-"$20, $50, $250, or $1,000 at a time-and dedicated several paragraphs to reasons why the group needed more members.

"An even stronger NRA is the only chance gun owners have to withstand the coming siege," he wrote, saying the group is launching a "full-court initiative" to recruit more "lover(s) of freedom." The group already one of the largest advocacy organizations, with four million members.

"This begins with remembering to keep your own membership active, or reactivate it if it has lapsed," he continued. "It means reminding yourself, 'I have a son and daughter who aren't members and should be'."

LaPierre also blamed the media, certain lawmakers and high-profile figures, such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, for making Americans "feel guilty about buying a gun."
"The enemies of freedom demonize gun buyers and portray us as social lepers," he added.

Concluding his op-ed, LaPierre vowed that NRA members "will not surrender."

"We will not appease. We will buy more guns than ever. We will use them for sport and lawful self-defense more than ever. We will grow the NRA more than ever. And we will be prouder than ever to be freedom-loving NRA patriots," he wrote. "We will Stand and Fight."

soundoff(404 Responses)

dannyC

Any Republican who reads LaPierra's full manifesto and doesn't run for the hills from the NRA is delusional. The GOP has self-inflicted a lot of damage in the last couple of years but if they don't make a response to get rid of LaPierra they are going to be begging the LIBERTARIANS to help them get their candidate into the Presidential debates in 2016.

February 14, 2013 10:26 am at 10:26 am |

The Other Dale

Y'know, the argument that we better just let crazy people have guns or else they'll "stand and fight" and start shooting and killing people out of paranoia probably isn't the best one to go with for the NRA.

February 14, 2013 10:26 am at 10:26 am |

Jan

Nuts and guns, nuts and guns. Kill kill kill kill. Makes for great conversation. gun nuts just LOVE to brag about how they are going to defend their family and kill kill kill. They LOVE the prospect of being able to KILL someone, anyone. In the meantime, you don't hear the NRA and gun owners screaming for more police and increased funding for police, more/better training for them and higher wages. Oh no.

NRA members, stop being stupid. Do you have enough brain to see that Wayne LaPierre is just using you?

February 14, 2013 10:28 am at 10:28 am |

scott

Damn right! We will fight!

February 14, 2013 10:29 am at 10:29 am |

Randy, San Francisco

LaPierre must still be waiting for a signal the British are coming or an Indian attack is imminent on the frontier. The man is still living in the 18th and 19th centuries.

February 14, 2013 10:29 am at 10:29 am |

Philip J. Fry

Not sure if he really is a paranoid anarchist,,,or if he's only appealing to people's fears to boost membership and revenue for his organization and the gun industry...

February 14, 2013 10:30 am at 10:30 am |

Anonymous

Yes, we will! Semper Fi......

February 14, 2013 10:30 am at 10:30 am |

Blah blah the wheel's off your trailer

Gun owners are ready to stand and fight? Really? The last time I checked, it was a republican congress and president who dragged us into two wars to take away the guns of the Afghans and Iraqis. That is ludicrous crap.

February 14, 2013 10:31 am at 10:31 am |

mgctampa

What is it with these nuts that are "in love with guns" I have a gun, but its a thing not an object of affection. Something is wrong with people that worship guns.

Remember, Wayne, when you're up against that hurricane, shoot to kill. It's no time to be namby-pamby - empty your magazine into that sucker.

February 14, 2013 10:35 am at 10:35 am |

laughingstock

Wow...It's almost as if you can actually see the gun manufacturer's standing over LaPiere's shoulder as he wrote this...

If the NRA was just for gun rights, they'd be spearheading the effort to find some solution that works and that everybody agrees to. Instead, they prove that they primarily represent the gun makers by trying to spread fear and paranoia, and drive up gun sales to anybody with a pulse and a few bucks. Pulse optional.

February 14, 2013 10:36 am at 10:36 am |

J. Olver

Universal background checks in no way infringe on the right of law abiding and mentally stable citizens to purchase and own weapons. With the exception of weapons designed specifically to kill large numbers of people quickly, no one is trying to take away the guns most people own. Gun registration and tracking of sales also doesn't infringe on the right to own a weapon and would dramatically cut back on crime. Gun addicts are like any other addict, they want their fix. Holding a gun in there hand gives them a sense of power and that is what they are addicted to.

February 14, 2013 10:36 am at 10:36 am |

Charlie

Of course we will fight. My questions to the leftest rebels.

What exactly have I done wrong that I cannot own an AR-15 or 30 round magazines??????

February 14, 2013 10:36 am at 10:36 am |

lolo

Fight about what? NRA just keep on telling your lies to your base. No one wants their guns, we just want to ban assault weapons. Why would an ordinary person need assault weapons? These neo-cons are in La-La land. Still living in the 17th century and will denounce anything President Obama request. The KKK Klan party needs to grow up.

February 14, 2013 10:36 am at 10:36 am |

Andy NYC

LaPierre is a complete and utter wack job!!

February 14, 2013 10:37 am at 10:37 am |

Dave

After reading this, does anybody wonder why we need NEW gun control laws.

February 14, 2013 10:39 am at 10:39 am |

skarphace

They took rrr guns!

Wait .. they didn't take our guns?

Well, they took rrr freedom!

Wait .. they didn't take our freedom?

Well, they took something, and it is bad, very bad. Stand up and fight!!

These NRA people remind me of Tea Party members- so sure of the quicksand they're standing on and screaming loudly at everyone else who is smiling as they sink!

February 14, 2013 10:41 am at 10:41 am |

mec

I have to agree with some of the things he said. I'm not opposed to universal background checks, but only if they don't lead to, "See!??! Background checks aren't enough so we need to ban and take weapons to save that one child!" I was always confused by the NRA's stance on background checks, but frankly it's been making more and more sense when you think long term instead of just immediate fix term.

February 14, 2013 10:41 am at 10:41 am |

HenryB

This man and the paranoia he stirs up is a testament to the evil that these very same people, in the "cloth of Christianity" so decry. This man is pure evil. Keep talking about liberals and tyranny and all you do is play into the fear and anger that so called Conservatives see as a virtue.